Ticket -issuing machine



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,180 J. S. ARCUS ET AL TICKET ISSUING MACHiNE Filed May 21, 1925 8 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 25, 1928. I 1,696,180

J; S. ARCUS ET AL TICKET 'ISSUING MACHINE Fil y 21,1925 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec 25, 1928.

J. 5. ARCUS ET AL TICKET ISSUING MACHINE a Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 21, 1925 J. S. ARCUS ET AL TICKET ISSUING MACHINE Dec. 25, 192 1,696,180

Filed May 21, 1925 a sheets-Sheet 5 fig" /0 Fig l/ Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,180

J. ARCUS ET AL TICKET ISSUING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 J. s. ARcus ET AL TICKET fssum MACHINE Filed y 1. 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Eat Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,180

J. S. ARCUS ET AL TICKET ISSUING MACHINE Filed May 21, 192 5 a Sheets-Sheet 8 h in Patented 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,696,180 PATENT OFFICE.

- JAMES B. ABG'US AND ROBERT E. BEAUBIEN, OF CHICAGO; ILLINOIS; QAID BEAUBIEN sam axons.

' TIGKET-ISSUING MACHIN E.

Application fled Kay 21,

Our invention relates to means for issuing tickets in desired numbers from a strip in automatic response to the movement of a correspondingly numbered key or slide.

6 Generally speaking, our invention aims to provide a simple and compact mechanism of this general class in which the inward movement of the selected actuating member or slide automatically locks the other slides 1 against movement until the selected one is completely retracted, then feeds out the free end portion of the ticket strip, halts the feed-- ing when the number of tickets corresponding to the designation on the slide have passed a shearing member, cuts off the tickets thus fed out and thereafter returns all arts of the mechanism to their starting positions. It also provides simple and effective means for preventing the se ected actuating slide from moving outward after its inward movement has been started and before its inward stroke has been completed,' and for preventinga.

thermore, our invention provides simple and,

novel means for storin power during the inward stroke of any se ected slide, for utilizing the stored power in effecting a quick stroke of the strip-shearing cutter, and for returning the cutter to its initial position.

In our previous application No. 22,046, filed April 10,1925ont1cket-issuing machine's, we have disclosed a more complicated con-. struction for the same general purpose, namely one in which two separate levers are employed respectively for actuating the strip-feeding memberand for actuating the cutting mechanism; in which sliding blocks are employed for preventing the'mo'vement of slides or keys other than the selected one; in which separate means are employed in connection with each slide for preventing a reverse movement of the selected slide in either direction after it has started either its inward movement or its returnstroke; in which two separate springs are employed-respectively for actuatin the cutter an for returning it to its initial position; and in which selected one has started its movement and the latch for the cutter is released through 1925. Serial No. I 31,747.

prior to the complete retraction of the latter, and provide a single lever for actuating both the strip-feeding. member and the cutteractuating mechanism. We also provide a construction employing only a single spring in connection with the cutting mechanism, namely a spring arranged for insuring a qulck movement of the cutter, and we provide cam and levermeans for efiectin the return of the cutter. We also -prov1de a single detent mechanism associated with the main lever of the machine for preventing a reverse movement of any selected slide intermediate'of either its inward stroke or its retracting stroke and provide novel means for reversing the operative position of this detent mechanism at each end of the stroke of any actuated slide.

Our present invention also provides simple and novel means for releasing the cutter at the completion of the stroke of any actuated slide, and provides a single cam member for actuating both the storing of power in the cutter-actuating spring and the returning of the cutter to its initial position. It also provides novel means for latching the strip feeder against further movement after it has fed the strip to the desired extent and prior to the cutting action,- and provides novel means for latching the entire machine against operation when all of the strip has been fed out. Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which drawings Fig. 1 isa perspective view of a ticket issuing machine embodyin our invention and showing this when the slide designed for issuing three tickets is at the end of its inward stroke.

Fig.2 is a plan view of the. same machine with its slides in'retracted position and with the top-cut away.

' Fig. 3 is a plan view taken from below the deck plate which supports the ticket strip and below the reel (or along the line 3-3 of Fig. 5) showing the parts in the normal or unoperated position of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the parts be- 1 w the strip holding deck of the machine, showing-the position of the parts when the slide 3 has been actuated and has started its retractin movement, with a portion of the cam mem 1' cut away to show 1ts geared connection-to the segmental gear which is conno nected to the main lever of the machine, and with parts-of the detent mechanism also cut away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the machine along the line 5-5 of Fig- 2'.

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary vertical sections taken respectively along the lines 66 and 77 of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan View of a corner portion of the machine, taken from the line 8-8 of Fig. 5fand showing the parts in their starting position. I i

Fig. 9 is a plan view corresponding to the left-hand upper corner of Fig. 2, but with the strip-supporting deck, strip guiding rollers and the strip guard omitted.

Fig. 1.0 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the power storing device along the' line 10-10 'of Fig. 9 and showing the initial positions of the two push arms and of the rocking lever.

V the upper guard of the reversible detent.

Fig. 11 is a simila-r view, showing the position of these-parts when the power-storing spring has been wound and the cutter is about to be released.

Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the position of the same parts after the cutter has been actuated and'before the action of the cam member returns the rocking lever to its initial position.

.Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 1313 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 14 is a'fragmentary plan view taken from the line1l--14 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a plan view taken from below mechanism, along the line 15--15 of Fig. 13. Fig. 16 is a similar plan view taken from below the toothed member of the reversible detent mechanism, along the line 1616 of Fig. 13. a

Fig. 17 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of this detent mechanism, showing the two guards and the toothed member in the positions occupied by them during the retracting of the main lever and the selected slide.

Fig, 18 shows the same parts during the inward stroke of the selected slide.

Fig. 19 is an elevation taken from the right hand side of Fig. 17, with portions broken away to show the assembly.

Fig. 20 is a similar elevation taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 18.

Fig. 21 is a-fragmentary vertical-section taken throughthe machine along the line 212 1 of Fig. 9. A s

Fig. 22 is an enlargement of an upper portion of Fig. 2, showing how the strip guard may be swung to an inoperative position wheninserting a new ticket strip, and also showing the latch which locks the machine against operation whenthe strip is entirely consumed.

' the strip, portions of the cutter member being broken away to show the shearing plate, the adjacent strip guide and the stop lug on the cutter carrier.

Fig. 25 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 2525 in Fig. 9, with a portion of the cam broken away to show the pawl associated with the strip feeding reel.

Fig. 26 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 26-26 of Fig. 21, showing how the spring on the strip guard latches the strip feeder when the strip has been consumed.

In the illustrated embodiment, our machine comprises a normally locked casing, shown in Fig. 1 as having a series of slides projecting through apertures in its front wall 6, which slides are the digitally operable actuating members of our machine. These are the slides, numbered from 1 to 5 inclusive, and each of them has a key by means of which .the slide is adapted to be moved inwardly for issuing the number of tickets corresponding to a numeral'on the key. The casing alsohas in its end 7 an opening through which an end portion of the ticket strip 8 is fed out,

this opening being normally closed by a spring-retracted gate 93 to prevent anyone.

from grasping the unissued part of the strip.

. The ticket strip 8 desirably has its main portion folded back and forth on itself so as to pack into a compact space as shown in Fig. 2, this strip being. supported intermediate of the height of the casing by a shelf or deck 9 and being held back by a pair of riser pins 10 carried by the deck 9, so as to retain the main portion of the strip in its compacted disposition. The issuing end of the ticket strip is guided between a pair of rollers 11 towards a rotatable strip feeder, this feeder being here shown in the form ofa reel having a top 12 provided with projecting fingers 13 which are spaced to correspond to perforations formed in the ticket strip adjacent to the juncture of the consecutive tickets. A guard 14.- normally holds the strip against the edge of the reel top 12 as shown in Figs. 2 and 22, this guard being desirably pivoted so that it can be swung away from the reel top as shown in Fig. 22 when a fresh ticket strip is to be inserted. After passing the said ticket-issuing reel, the ticket strip is fed through the opening which is normally closed. by the gate 93 and past a stationary shearing plate 15. This shearing plate is shown. in Fig. 23 as carried by a post 16 on which the cutter mem'-' 4 berof the machine is pivoted, and the post .16

also carries a guide 17 which extends parallel.

to the face of the shearing plate'and at a slight distance from the latter so as-to keep the shearing plate.

Thus arranged, it will be obvious that a rotating of the reel top 12 in a directionwhich is clockwise in Figs. 2 and 22 will feed out a length of strip corresponding to the extent to which the reel is rotated. To effect such rotation, we provide an oscillable main member which isrotatably mounted on the same shaft 18 on which the reel is journaled. This member is shown in Fig. 21 as consisting of a cam 19 which carries a spring 20 contin uously tending to slide a pawl or ratchet element 21 upwardly through the cam, the pawlbeing disposed for engaging downwardly directed ratchet projections 22 on the lower plate 23 of thereel. The cam 19 is fastened to a pinion 24, driven through a reversing pinion 25 by a segmental gear 26, this gear being connected through a link 27 with the operating lever 28 of the machine, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The lever 28 extends transversely pastthe actuating members numbered 1 to 5 inclusive, and each of these actuating members carries a pin 29 adapted to engage the forward edge of the lever so as to move the lever in its actuating direction when that actuating member or slide is moved inwardly. A spring 30 interposed between the lever 28 and the base frame 31 of the machine retracts the lever the lever to move in unison until the slide'has been returned to its starting position. I

For cutting off the issued portion of the strip, we provide a cutter 32, shown in Figs. 23 and 24 as fastened to a cutter member 33 which in turn is fastened to a rock-shaft 34.

The rock-shaft 34, as shownin Figs. 4 and 8, has a collar 35 fastened to it by a screw 36, and this collar is interlocked with one end of a spring 37 coiled about a portion of the shaft. The other end of the spring is interlocked with a collar 56 loosely pivoted on the shaft,

which collar carries a downwardly project-.

ing arm'38 disposed for engaging one arm of a rocking lever 39. Adjacent to the collar which carries the arm 38;-the rock shaft 34 has another collar 40 fastened to it, and this collar carries an arm 41 disposed on the opposite side of the lever arm 39 from the arm38.

The rocking lever of which the arm 39 forms a portion has another arm'42 carrying.

at its'free end a roller 43 which continuously engages the cam shaped edge of the cam 19,

the roller being sufficiently small so as to entera slot 44 which is formed in the cam as .shown in Figs. 3 and 4) soas to permitthe .plate 15 and the guide member 17.

, the ear mem roller-engaging edge of the cam to extend for more than 360 degrees about the axisof the cam.

When the actuating members or slides are all in their retracted or starting positions, the cam 19 is in the osition shown in Fig. 3,

namely one in whic the roller 43 is housed by the slot 44, thereby swingin the rocking lever so that its arm 39 pushes t 1e collar arm 41 on the rock shaft of the power storing mechanism to the position shown in Fig. 10. At this time, the cutter member .33 is in the position shown in Fig. 23, namely one in which the cutter is out of the path of the ticketstrip, so that the strip can freely be fed above the-cutter 32 betweenthe shearing When the lever 28 is moved inward, or in -a direction which is clockwise in Fig. 3, the

cam 19 is also moved in the same direction owing to the 'oint action of the link 27, and

ers 24, 25 and 26. Consequently, the slopin cam edge 45 which forms the inner wall 0 the slot 44 Willpress against the rocking lever to rock the latter in a direction which is also clockwise in Fig. 3, thereby moving the collar arm 38 from the position of Fig. 10 to that of Fig. 11. Since the collar associated with this arm 38 is interlocked with one end of the coiled spring 37, the resulting movement will tend to rotate the spring bodily and'hence would rotate the rock-shaft 34 with which the other end of the s ring is connected through the collar 35.

owever, this rock-shaft 34 has the cutter member 33 fastened to it and the cutter member has a projecting finger 46 which underhangs a spring pressedlatch 47 at that time, as shown in Fig. 23.. Consequently, this latch will prevent a rotation ofthe rock shaft, so that the movement of the rocking lever and the corresponding movement of the collars on the shaft from the position of Fig. 10 to that of Fig. 11 only serves to tensionrthe spring 37. until the. latch 47 is released. As soon as this releasing occurs, the power stored in the spring rotates the cutter-carrying rock shaft and "swings the cutter member 33 to the position shown in Fig. 24. In moving to this latter position, the cutter 32 cooperates iio with the shearing plate, 17 in cuttin as the issued part ofthe ticket strip, and t e actuatin of the cutter throu h the spin in.

whic power has previous y been store insures a ulck and clean cutting actlon.

To re ease the cutter-restraining latch at the proper time,we form this-latch as one end of a pin 49 which is slidably'supported on the baseplateBl of the machine-in a fork 50 andwhich is connected by a-link 51 to a j pin 52 projectin from a trip shaft 53. This trip shaft exten s transverselyof the actuator slide members and has fastened to it a series of downwardl projecting pins 98 each of which extends own" adjacent to a side of one of the actuating slides. Each slide has a lateral projection 54 disposed for engaging the trip shaft pin 98 which is adj acent to it, the projections 54 being disposed so that the said engagement will occur for each slide when that slide has almost completed its inward stroke. When this engagement occurs, the continued inward movement of the actuated slide rocks the trip shaft 53 so as to retract the stem 49 which has the latch 47 at one end, the rocking of the shaft being in opposition to a spring 55 which turns the shaft in the opposite direction as soon as the inward pressing movement on the actuated slide is released.

Each of the actuating slides extends through perforations in a riser 57 near the front of the machine and in another riser 58 I when the late behind the trip shaft 53. To prevent the slides from being jarred out of their normal inoperative positions, we provide a spring member 58 which has a grooved top normally overhanging the upper ends of the pins 29 on all of the slides so as to latch the slides yieldingly in their starting positions. This latching member 58 is here shown (Fig. 7 as fastened conjointly with the forward guide riser 57 to the base plate 31 of the machine.

To prevent other slides from being moved after any selected slide has started 1ts actuating movement and before the selected slide has been completely retracted, we provide a series of pivoted latches, shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as numbered from 59 to 62 inclusive and as pivoted to the top of the rear guide riser 58. Each of these latches is pivoted at a point between two of the slides and is formed so that its swinging movement will be limited by engagement with the top of the riser 58 to positions in which it will only permit one of the adjacent slides to be moved past the latch. The adjacent latches are also formed so as to abut against each other, thereby causing a rocking of any one latch to rock the adjacent latches also, and each latch has a pair of fingers 63 respectively so disposed as to be in the ath of the two adjacent slides ii is in its medial position as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as one of the slides is started on its inward or actuating move ment, as shown in Fig. 4 for the slide 3, its

rear end (which is rounded or tapered for.

that purpose) engages downwardly. project; ing arms 63 on the two adjacent'latches and rocks these latches away from each other to permit the actuated slide to pass between these latches, as shown in connection with the latches 60 and 61 in Fig. 4. In doing so, each of these last two named latches also swings lever 28 than these teeth.

prevent an inward movement of the other slides, since engagement of the actuated slide with the edges of the stop fingers 63 of the latches adjacent to it cooperates with the engagement of the riser 58 b the two endmost latches to prevent all-of t 1e latches from being moved about their pivotal mountings. however, when the actuated slide has been completely retracted, the latches are again free to move until some one of the slides is again started in its inward direction.

To compel an uninterrupted movementof the actuated slide in each direction, we provide a single and reversible detent mechanism which is associated with the main lever 28,

the latter being interlocked during the move posts 65 and having a toothed edge 66 curved concentric with the pivot 67 on the main lever 28 as shown in Fig. 4. Pivoted upon a post 67 which is fastened to the lever 28 are a pair of pawls 68 and 69 which extend obliquely in opposite directions from the lever 28 so that they can engage the toothed edge 66 of the rack plate to resist a movement of the lever in respectively opposite directions. A sprin 7O continuously tends to swing both of t ese awls into engagement with the toothed racli edge, but one or the other of these pawls is also held awa from this toothed edge 66 by a smooth-edge guard along which the inoperative pawl can slide freely. With this in mind, we form the two pawls so that the pawl 68 has its tooth-engagmg free end extending above the toothed member 64 and disposed for engaging the smooth curved edge of a guard 71, while the free end of the companion pawl 69 is dis osed for engaging the curved and smooth e go of slidably mounted on the rack plate 64 so as to be movable from a position in which its smooth guard edge is disposed back of the teeth 66 to a position in which this edge extends further towards the ivot axis of the or this purpose, we are showing the upper guard 71 as havin a pair of slots 73 oblique to the lever 28, an

are showing the rack plate 64 as carrying a pair of riser screws 7 4 each of which extends through one of the said oblique slots. The toothed rack plate 66 also carries a pair of downwardly extendin screws 75 .each of which extends throug guard 72, but the slots in the latter are sloped m the opposite direction from the slots 73 in the upper guard. One of the guards, namely the lower guard plate 72 in Fig. 4, carries a pin 96 which is slidable in a slot 97 on the upper guard, thereby causing each guard to a slot in the, lower,

be moved longitudinally in unison with the other guard. I Q

When the lever is in its retracted or starting position of Fig. 3, the upper guard 71 .is in an operative position in which it holds the upper pawl 68 away from the toothed edge 68, while the lower guard 72 is drawn back so as to permit the lower pawl 69 to engage the teeth of the rack. Thus disposed, the spring 70 ermits the pawl 69 to ride over the teeth of t e rack, so that this pawl will not interfere with the continued inwar d movement 'of the lever and of the actuated slide.

However, if the operating pressure on the selected slide is released before that slide has completed its inward stroke, the pawl 69 will engage the rack tooth adjacent wit and hence will prevent a retraction of the lever I 28 by the retracting spring 30.

, slid inwar ly of the machine by a tension.

82 to draw both of theguar When the power stored in the spring 37 of the power storing mechanism is actuating the cutter by moving the cutter member from the, position of Fig. 23 to that of Fig. 24, the cam arm 76 on the cutter member engages an arm 77 which is fastenedto a rock shaft 78. This shaft 78 has at its other end an arm 79 connected by a link. 80 to a detent 81 which is pivoted on the rack plate 64 and which has at one end a finger 82 disposed so as to abut against the inner end of the upper uard 71 when the latter is in the position of Fig. 3.. When thus disposed, the detent revents both guards from being spring 82 which is interposed between the rack plate 64, and the pin 96 which cooperates with the slot 97 in transmittin a longitudinal movement of one guard to t e other. The rocking of the shaft 78 through the said action of the cam 7 6' on the cutter member draws thelink 80 inwardly of the machine, thereby 1 swinging thedetent 82 to its inoperative position of F ig. 4 and permittin the spring 971 and 72 inwardly of the machine or towards the left in Fig. 3. When thus moved longitudinally,

the inclination of the slots 73 in the u per guard cause this gua'rd to move back 0 the rack teeth to the position shown in Fig. '4, while the oppositely directed inclination of the slots 83 in thelower guard 72 cause the latter to move forward. Consequently, the lower pawl 69 is then held out of operative enga ement with the rack, as shown in Fi 17 while the upper pawl 68 engages the rac and permits a free retracting movement of the lever 28 but prevents a repeated inward movement of this lever before the lever has completed its retraction,

When the cutter member is returned to its initial position through the operation of the cam member 19 and the rocking lever associated with the latter, it releases the pressure of the cam finger 7 (ion .the shaft arm77 of Figs. 23 and 24, thereby permitting aaspring 84 to swing the detent 81 in a direction which is clockwise in Fig. 4. However, this occurs after the spring 82 has moved the uard 71 toward the left in Fig. 4, thereby disposing the inner or left-hand end of this guard (1n Fig. 4) in the path of the finger 82 of the detent, so as to. prevent the latterfrom returning to' its initial position of Fig. 3. While completing its retracting movement, the main lever 28 engages adownwardly proj ecting finger 85 on the lower guard 72, thereby drawing this guard forwardly of the machine or to the right in Figs. 4 and 13 against 'the resistance of the spring 82. When doing so, the pin and slot connection 96 and 97 between the two guards causes the upper guard "to be drawn in the same direction, thereby permitting the detent 81 to return to its initial position of Fig. 3. Hence the single rack serves in connection with the two awls 68 and 69 for insuring a complete stro e of the main lever and of the selected slide in each direction, thereby preventing reciprocatory to its operative direction at the completion of each stroke of the lever.

Whenever our machine is operated, the

cam 19 (Fig, 3) is rotated to an extentproportioned to the number of tickets which are p to be issued anda corresponding movement is imparted to the rotatable ticketfeeder through the ratchet engagement between the spring-pressed pawl 21 on the cam and the teeth 22 on the ticket feeding reel. However, the momentum imparted to this reel may tend to rotate it beyond the intended extent and I hence might cause it to feed the ticket strip beyond a pointwhere the cutter is op osite the juncture of two tickets. To avoi this, we provide a feeder latch which engages the reel just before the cutter is actuated, so as to halt the reel at the end of the intended feeding movement and until the actuated slide has started its retracting movement. A latch from immediately moving that latch. But the initial rocking of'the' trip shaft tensions a spring-94 interposed between the link 90 an the arm 91 of the reel latch and hence swings the latch 92f10mi its initial position Ill! (shown dotted in Fi" 8) .to its holding .posi- .tion (shown in full ines in Fig. 8), so that the 115 of this latch will be engaged by the next ger 100 on the reel to prevent a further rotation of thej'reel. Then, owing to the said lie elongation of the link slot, the cutter latch is released a little later, or after the strip feeder has been positively halted in a position in which the engagement of oneof the reel fin 6 gers 100 with the latch 92 brings the juncture of two tickets opposite the cutter. As soon as the actuated slide starts its retracting movement, the spring 55 turns the trip shaft 53back to its starting position and hence causes the link 27 to force the feeder latch 92 back to its inoperative position.

The top plate 12 of the reel which serves as a ticket feeder also desirably has perforations 101 arranged in a circle (as shown in Fig. 22) so that'the teeth of a pinion 87 can mesh with the spaces between them, thereby turning the shaft 102 of a counter 88 which registers the total number of tickets issued.

To prevent this counter from being operated through an actuating of a slide when. the ticket. strip is exhausted, we mount on the strip guide 14 a spring finger 103 which has .a bent end normally bearing'against the outer face of the ticket strip and which has a longitudinal slot back of this bent. end. When the ticket strip has been entirely fed out, the resiliency of the spring finger 103 causes its bent end to snap over the edge of the top plate 12 of the reel, so as to bring the end of the said slot into the path of one of the fingers 13 on this top plate, as shown in Fig. 26. This slot end then halts the reel and operates through the ratchet engagement between the reel and the cam 19 to prevent rotation oft-he cam, Since the cam is positively connected through the link 27 to the main lever 28, this also is then latched against movement, so that the entire machine is effectively, latched against operation until a fresh ticket strip has been inserted with a portion of it disposed between the reel top 12 and the spring finger 103.

However, while we have illustrated and described our machine in an embodiment including various highly desirable shapes and arrangements of difierent parts, we do not wish to be limitedas to these, since the details of construction and arrangement might obviously be modified in many ways without departing-either from the spirit of our invention or from the ap ended claims, Neither do we wish to be limited to the use of the various novel features of our invention in con-- one has returned to its starting position; the.

said means comprising pivoted latches dis-- posed between the consecutive actuating members and behind the rear ends of all thereof when the actuating members are in their starting positions, the consecutive latches having arms abutting against one another, and stops for limiting the rocking movement of the latches about their pivots, the spread of the arms and the disposition of the stops being such that the separational movement'of any two latches by the passing of a part of an'actuating member between them will dispose the otherlatches so as to prevent the movement of any other latching member between anytwo of the said other latches.

2. In a ticket issuing machine, mechanism as per claim 1, and a pair of supporting members through which all of the actuating members slidably extend, the more rearward supporting member having the said latches pivoted on it and having portions adapted to engage the latches to afford the said movement limiting stops.

3. In a machine for issuing portions of a strip, a rotatably mounted strip feeder, actuating means includin a rotatable member coaxial with the strip feeder and connected to the latter by a ratchet connection, a strip cutter, spring means tensioned by the said actuating means during the actuating of the feeder and connected to the cutter, a cutter latch for preventing operation of the cutter by the spring means during the feeding of the strip, feeder halting means associated with the actuating means for latching the feeder against continued movement when the strip has been fed to the desired extent, trip 7 means associated with the actuat ng means for releasing the cutter latch subsequent to the said halting of the reel, and connections for thereafter retracting the feeder halting means and returning the cutter latch to its operative position.

4. A strip issuing machine as per claim 3, in which the said connections include a member reciprocated b the actuating means and connected to the eeder halting means by a spring, the said member having a lost motion connection to the latch to permit the spring to actuate the feeder halting means prior to the releasing of the latch.

5. A strip issuing machine as per claim 3, in which the cutter is mounted on a cutter carrier and in which the said connections include a rockshaft and an arm fast on the rock shaft and disposed to be engaged by the cutter carrier during the cutting movement of the cutter. i

6. In a strip-issuing machine, a strip feeder, a strip cutter, mechanism for storing power for actuating the cutter, a plurality of manually operable actuating members, connections whereby any operated actuating member operates the strip feeder-and stores power in the said mechanism, a latch for preventing the said mechanism from operating to substantially at,

the cutter; and releasing 'means actuated. by

the selected actuatin member, subsequent to the operation of the eeder and to the storing I of the power, for releasing the latch; the releasing means including a rock shaft havin arms respectively adjacent to the several actuating members, each actuating member having a portion adapted to engage the shaft armiadjacent to it.

7. In a"'machine for issuing a strip to a varying extent, a strip fee er, operating means for actuating the strip feeder selectively to the desired extent, a strip cutter, and mechanism for actuating the cutter and 1 thereafter returning the cutter to its starting position; the said mechanism including a rocking lever and a cam engaging one end of the lever, the cam having an, eccentric .portion ada ted to actuate the lever in one direc- 2 tion Whl e the operating means are actuated to the minimum strip issuing extent andhaving a portion concentric with its axis and in 00 tinuation of its said eccentric portion to permit a further movement of the camwith 2 out imparting further motio'nto the lever.

8. In a machine for issuinga strip to a varying extent, a strip feeder, operating means for actuating the strip feeder selectively to the desired extent,fa strip cutter,

and mechanism for actuating thev cutter and thereafter returningthe cutterto its starting positionthe said mechanism includin a rocking lever and a cam engaging one en of the lever, the cam havin an eccentric portion adapted to actuate the ever in one direction while the operating means are actuated to the minimum strip issuing extent and having an arm adjacent to but spaced from the said eccentric portion to draw the adjacent lever .40 end towards the axis of the cam during the I retracting movement of the cam.

9. In a machine for issuing portions of a strip, 0 eratingmechanism including a re .ciproca le lever manually operable means for moving the l mounted guar adapted when in one position a to render the said etent means inoperative, and yielding means for holding the guardout of its said position during the retracting movement 0 the lever', the love being disposed for engagin a portion 0 the guard e end of its retracting movement so as to move the guard against the resistance of the said yielding means and into its said position. Y

10. In amachine for issuing portions of a strip, a strip feeder,acutter arranged for ever in its operating direction, and spring means for retracting the cutting off the fed portioripf the strip, a

having teeth extending adjacent to and trans-' verse of the lever; two detents movably mounted on the lever and bothdisposed for engaging the rack, the first detent being adaptedwhen engaging the rack to prevent a retracting movement of the lever, the second detent being adapted when engaging the rack to prevent movement of the lever in its feeder actuating direction; means responsive to the actuating of the cutter for renderin the first detent inoperative means operate by the lever at the end of its retracting stroke for rendering the second detent inoperative, and means for making each detent operative when the other detent is rendered inoperative.

I 11. The combination with a reciprocable lever, of an arcuate rack adjacent to the lever, two spring-pressed pawls carried by the lever and both adapted to engage the rack, a pair of arcuate guards each movable into and out of a guarding position in which it holds one of the pawls out of engagement with therack, and means connecting the two guards whereby a movement of either guard out of its guarding relation to the pawl with which it is associated moves the other guard into guarding relation with respect to the other pawl; v v

12. The combination with a reciprocable lever, of an arcuate rack adjacent to the lever, two springressed pawls carried by the lever and both a apted to engage the rack, a pair of arcuate guards each movable into and out of a' guarding position in which it holds one of the pawls out of engagement with the rack, and means associated with the two guards and actuated by'the lever substantially at the end of each stroke of the lever for moving the guards so that each guard is only in its guarding position whilethelever is moving in one direction. 7

13. Mechanism as per claim 11, in which each of the guards is mounted for slidable movement obliquely'transver'se of the rack, the obliquity being in reverse direction for the two guards.

'14. The combination with a reciprocable lever, of an arcuate rack adjacent to the,

lever, two springressed pawls carried by the lever and both a apted to engage the rack, a

pair of arcu ate guards each movable into and out ofa' guarding position in which it holds one of the pawls out of engagement with the rack, means for simultaneously movin the guards longitudinally of the rack, and connections between the guards for causing such longitudinal movement thereof to shift the previously operative guard out ofvits guardg posit on and to bring the previously inoperative guard into' an operative. guarding position.

15. Mechanism as per claim 1 1, in combination with spring means continuously urging the guards into a position in which a certain guard is operative while the other guard is inoperative, means actuated by the reciprocable member substantially at one end of its stroke for moving the guards to the reverse position against the resistance of the spring, a latch for holding the guards in their said reverse position, and means responsive to the approaching of the lever to the other end of its stroke for releasing the latch.

16. The combination with a stationary rack, of a reciprocable member having a portion adjacent to the teeth of'the rack, a pair of pawls movably mounted on the said member and both disposed for engaging the teeth of the rack and respectively adapted to prevent movement of the said member in opposite directions, two guards both mounted for movement transversely of the rack and each adapted when in one position to hold one of the pawls out of engagement with the rack, and means for simultaneously moving the guards in opposite directions transversely of the rack so as to. alternate the operative disposition of the two guards.

17. Mechanism as per claim 16, in which the guard moving means are. disposed so as to be actuated by the reciproeable member at each end of its stroke.

18. Mechanism as per claim 16, in which the guard moving means are disposed so as to be actuated by the reciprocable member at each end of its stroke, and'in which the disposition is such that the actuating of the said means at the end of one stroke is effectedby direct engagement of the member with one of the guards.

Signed at Chicago. Illinois, May 16th, 1925.

JAMES S. ARCUS. ROBERT E. BEAUBIEN. 

